Inconsistent, Confusing Food Labeling System Leads To Billions Of Dollars Of Waste

Individuals and businesses in the U.S. are needlessly throwing away billions of pounds of food annually because of confusing food expiration labeling practices, a new report says. Expiration dates on food products – phrases like “sell by”, “use by”, and “best before” -- are badly regulated, misinterpreted and “leading to a false confidence in food safety”, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council and Harvard Law School. More than 90 percent of Americans prematurely throw out food – as much as 40 percent of the food supply, or about $40 billion worth. The authors recommend creating a standardized, common sense date labeling system that provides useful information to consumers, “rather than the unreliable, inconsistent and piecemeal system we have today”.